Fablecraft News

Greetings, Mages! 🧙

The Storyteller Collection is officially available in Tales of Fablecraft. Grab the most recent update to find the collection and navigate to the marketplace.

The collection arrives as part of the v0.16.0 update, and you'll find those patch notes towards the end of this post.

[h2]What’s included in the Storyteller Collection?[/h2]



The Storyteller Collection provides GMs with an expanded array of music, soundscapes, and scenes to inspire fresh, thrilling adventures. We’ve collaborated with a talented group of artists to assemble a fantastic set of environments for your upcoming campaigns.

This collection includes ten unique environments (including three with variants), five captivating music tracks, and ten immersive soundscapes.



We’re also still working hard on the Brawler Collection, which features a pile of creatures and battlemaps, and we’ll have that ready for September.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a group of players to run a new adventure with, join our Discord.

Now, those patch notes.

[h2]The Complete Tales of Fablecraft v0.16.0 Patch Notes[/h2]

Features

• The Storyteller Collection is available in the marketplace. ✨ It features 10 new environments, 5 music tracks, and 10 soundscapes.
  
• We’ve added a content code redemption box to the Marketplace, too. This will be helpful for some code-based stuff we’re doing in the future, including the Friends of Fablecraft program that we’ll detail soon. Also, if you’re a Kickstarter backer and never redeemed your codes for content, this redemption button will work for you, too!
  
• We’ve made some changes to the filtering system across environments and the jukebox, making navigation simpler and cleaner for GMs.
  

Bug Fixes

• We fixed a bug where GM Demo voiceover didn’t match the actual text in the dialogue boxes.
  
• We fixed a bug affecting the power stat boost provided by the Manor Key in the
• House in the Manor* adventure.
  

Known Issues

• Players can't give or discard inventory items through their character sheets. This can only be done through the inventory panel. This known issue will be fixed in a future update.
  

Welcome to another dev blog for Tales of Fablecraft, Mages! 🧙

In this week’s update, we’ll take a closer look at the Storyteller Collection that’s set to launch next week. We’ll share some of its contents, touch on the Brawler Collection, and dig into price points.

Before we get into the collection’s details, the Storyteller Collection will launch on August 22nd, 2024. We’ll make the announcement on Discord as soon as it’s live, so if you want that immediate notification, you should join us!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Let’s begin.

[h2]What’s included in the Storyteller Collection?[/h2]

The Storyteller Collection offers GMs more music, soundscapes, and scenes to spin new adventurous yarns. We’ve worked with another roster of incredible artists to put together a fantastic collection of environments for your future adventures.

This collection includes 10 environments (three with variants), five music tracks, and 10 soundscapes.



You’ll be able to combine the meandering music with the tavern scene above and a fantastically satisfying kitchen soundscape. Fun fact, our own Cody Uhler and Ross Wariner spent a day making a clatter in a kitchen for that track, and the result is both cozy and captivating. The artwork for the tavern scene was done by Isabeau Backhaus.



If you’re looking to tell a tale that plumbs the depths of the ocean floor, we have the perfect starting point for your party’s exploits. Meet the Depths Entrance, a port of call that boasts an entire underwater playground. The artwork for the Depths Entrance was done by David Frasheski.



Or, maybe you want a platform worthy of a visit from a Woodland Dragon (coming soon in the Brawler Collection)? This stunning scene was done by Kent Davis.

[h2]What about the Brawler Collection?[/h2]

The Brawler Collection is still coming! We initially intended to release both collections on the same day, but the 3D visual effects for the creatures and their attacks are being finalized as I put together this dev blog. We’re anticipating the Brawler Collection will land in the first couple weeks of September once we return from PAX West.

We’ll be at PAX West, by the way! Come grab a sticker and say hello!

[h2]Here’s how much both collections will cost[/h2]

As promised in a dev blog and vlog a few weeks ago, we’re ready to share the price points for the Storyteller and Brawler Collections.

The Storyteller Collection will sell for $9.99, and the Brawler Collection will sell for $14.99.

In case you missed that previous pricing discussion, the reason for the pricing difference comes down to the scope of work involved with each collection. The Storyteller Collection features 10 commissioned story scenes–several with variants–and new music and soundscapes, so it represents a strong collection of art that we priced at $9.99.

The Brawler Collection is priced at $14.99 because it features roughly double the commissioned art and designed combat abilities, unique 3D animations, and custom sound effects for 14 different creatures. Those 3D animations, especially, take a considerable amount of effort from our team.



We hope you love both collections as much as we do! Personally, I can’t get over the Jewel Beetle.

That’s it for this week’s dev blog! Be sure to grab the Storyteller Collection when it drops next week, and join our Discord to find your next party.

👋

Welcome to v0.15.0/2 of Fablecraft, Mages! 🧙

Before we get into the official patch notes for the release, we wanted to pause and thank you for your feedback and reviews. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to connect with us, whether it’s here on Steam or on our Discord or Feature Upvote site. Your help and presence is much appreciated.

We shared some of this update's marquee elements in the dev blog and vlog we posted earlier this week, but today, you can dig into the update and the patch notes.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Note: We issued and rolled back v0.15.0 during the evening hours of 8/13/24. Today's update includes a fix for the bug introduced with v0.15.0, and that's why it's numbered v0.15.2. The below patch notes remain the same.

Let’s begin!

[h2]The Complete Tales of Fablecraft v0.15.0/2 Patch Notes[/h2]

[h3]Features[/h3]

• Following your feedback, we’ve made changes to the GM Demo to greatly reduce the amount of railroading advice and, instead, push new GMs to move more dynamically with their players. Give it a shot and let us know how this iteration feels!
  
• GMs can now display inventory items as fullscreen art for the full party with a simple drag and drop.
  
• Players can view fullscreen art for inventory whenever they want, too; just click on the item.
  
• GMs also have a more approachable drag and drop user experience for said inventory items.
  
• We heard the requests! GMs can now use their purchased Token Skins in battle. Dare you to make the Highland Dragon wear the Rainbow Cake Token Skin.
  
• Speaking of the Highland Dragon, we’ve improved ability and movement targeting for large foes.; just a note, we’re doing more work on this process now that will roll into future releases.
  
• We’ve added in lots of updated combat SFX to make battle that much juicier.
  
• We’ve added more voice over work across adventures to give your sessions that much more flavor.
  
• Yes! Several folks have wanted this one internally for a long time. Now, clicking on a token in the turn tracker will actually pan the camera to center that selected token.
  
• You’ll now get a nice notification on the Main Menu when you’re invited to a campaign.
  
• If a player’s taking too long with that chip and/or dip during battle, their token will now flash to signal that it’s their turn to go.
  
• Players with a spotty internet connection will now have their cameras temporarily disabled until the connection health has improved. This is intentional and will save bandwidth and improve gameplay stability.
  
• We’ve made it so scene art now stays centered when the side tray is opened instead of sliding over.
  
• We’ve updated the display name field to signal when there’s an error in the name you choose.
  

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• We’ve improved video stability for players using their webcams.
  
• We’ve also done polish work across video chat, pop-up menus, character sheets, and elsewhere.
  
• We fixed a bug that would cause hero and campaign tiles to annoyingly uncenter! Whew, solved.
  
• You can now use commas in your homebrew asset names, something that was causing errors.
  
• We fixed bugs related to changing scenes while in battlemaps, so go ahead and end that conflict even more gracefully.
  
• We’ve renamed Shields to Block! We found Shields to be a bit confusing functionally, and this change has been made across Fablecraft.
  
• We fixed some bugs connected to battlemap descriptions.
  
• We fixed a super annoying, persistent popup dialogue that happened exclusively to KO’d and dead characters.
  
• We fixed many data bugs related to characters, creatures, and abilities. Thank you for spotting and reporting these!
  
• Players can now delete homebrew portraits via the character sheet.
  

[h3]Known Issues[/h3]

• GMs will not be able to drag inventory from the GM Guide into fullscreen view! This is a bug. The workaround for now is to find the item in your inventory panel and display it that way.
  

Greetings, Mages! 🧙

We’re working on the finishing touches for a new update to Fablecraft that will bring it to v0.15.0. This update offers some new free content and feature changes that our community started asking for at launch.

With today’s dev blog and vlog, we’ll discuss when this update will arrive (roughly) and preview some of the fun changes and additions we have in store.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Let’s begin.

[h2]When’s the update dropping?[/h2]

It can be tricky to nail down exact release timings for updates like these. We’re currently working through the final QA process now, testing the build, and ensuring we didn’t break anything as we added features and made our changes.

If the QA process finds issues, we’ll need to take stock and decide whether they need fixing immediately or can wait until our next release. If QA gives us the thumbs up, then we’ll be able to launch fairly quickly.

The intention is to release v0.15.0 this week, but that could change. We’ll announce the update as soon as it’s live, and we’ll also be sure to share if we need to hold the update a bit.

[h2]Looking for a badass? Meet the Blade Dancer.[/h2]



Introducing a new enemy, the Blade Dancer, beautifully created by artist Justine Cruz. This level four foe will soon be available for all GMs to deploy, for free, in their campaigns in Fablecraft.

Hailing from the Coral Coasts, the Blade Dancer is a formidable foe for Mages level four and lower. Add more Blade Dancers to the encounter, of course, and you’ll make any situation dicey for even the most experienced Mages.

The Blade Dancer is an aggressive addition to the Fablecraft base game, and she rounds out the pack of ambush-ready attackers like the Shadow Bandits and even Rue Nightshade. For GMs looking to change up the story a bit, we made sure that the background behind the Blade Dancer had only hints of the Coral Coasts region. It’s fairly neutral, and that means you can make her hail from just about anywhere in Mythas.

The Blade Dancer boasts two tough attacks. With Twin Blade Dash, GMs will rush towards their opponents–moving through three spaces–and deal 10 damage. When surrounded, GMs can deploy Lethal Dance and deal 6 damage to all adjacent enemies.

[h2]You’re inventory screens are getting a mighty small upgrade[/h2]

We have a few small–yet big–changes coming to the inventory system in Fablecraft.

First, for GMs and players, you can now click on a single item in the inventory screen to see a fullscreen image and description.



For GMs, we’ve made it easier to give inventory to players and make sure the whole party sees what you’re giving them. Simply grab the item, drag it out of the side panel, and either give it to a specific player or share it with everyone as fullscreen art.



Important note: We’re planning even more changes and additions to the inventory system in the coming months, so stay tuned.

[h2]Tweaks made to open up the GM Demo[/h2]

We’ve heard from some seasoned GMs that our GM Demo is too railroady, especially when we indicate that GMs can throw an impossible roll down as a roadblock for their players.

We agree. Quite simply, we had a short amount of time to put the demo together, and what launched into Early Access was, we felt, a decent first draft. We still intend to revise the GM Demo even further, but this update will see some language and scene changes that don’t encourage GMs to railroad their players with impossible rolls.

We’ll say this to the folks who cited this one as a problem: you were right, and we’re working to improve it. Consider the changes made in this update a simple first step on the road to the complete version.

[h2]GMs get custom Battle Tokens[/h2]

Fablecraft was released on July 23rd, 2024. By July 24th, we had multiple GMs in Discord requesting the same thing: they wanted to be able to use their Player Token skins on the foes they controlled in battle.



With v0.15.0, GMs will now be able to select the Token Skin they want to use for NPCs in battle. A note: you can only pick one Token Skin at a time. You won’t be able to apply specific skins to specific foes, at least not at this time.

Want to know even more about what’s changing with this update? Stay tuned for the patch notes that will go live as soon as we push the release button on Steam, hopefully this week.

Until then, find your next party on our Discord.

Welcome, Mages! 🧙

We’re now two weeks past launch and are cooking up new features, fixing bugs, and considering player feedback as we reshape our backlog and roadmap.

We’re also gearing up to launch two collections in the in-game marketplace: The Brawler Collection and the Storyteller Collection. If you’ve spent a few minutes cruising through what’s in the marketplace now, you likely noticed these collections and their ‘Coming Soon’ banners.

Today, we’ll reveal what each collection includes.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Let’s begin.

[h2]What are these collections, and what do they feature?[/h2]

The Storyteller Collection and Brawler Collection each offer GMs a pack of pre-made assets created by fantastic fantasy artists and our VFX and SFX teams. Each collection will help GMs homebrew campaigns and one-shots, and they are both geared towards their own side of roleplay; combat and theatrics.

Here’s what they’re each slated to include, though some of the naming could change for individual items.

[h3]The Brawler Collection[/h3]



For GMs looking to add more melee to their mayhem, the Brawler Collection offers new battlemaps and monsters of all sizes, including three new massive dragons. Here’s the rundown.

Battlemaps

• King of the Hill
  
• Serpent’s Throne
  
• Docks Battlemap
  
• Highlands Underground
  
• Magical Lab
  
• Wildwoods Ruin
  

Monsters

• Coastal Dragon
  
• Woodland Dragon
  
• Meadow Dragon
  
• Glimmerfang
  
• Gloom Harpy
  
• Hydra (Name TBD)
  
• Jewel Beetle
  
• Kelp Horror
  
• Leaper Queen
  
• Shadow Archer
  
• Meadowpede
  
• Rocky Rhino
  
• Rocky Roller
  
• Sovereign Slab
  

[h3]The Storyteller Collection[/h3]



The Storyteller Collection gives GMs more sights and sounds to weave their tapestry and set the scene. Here’s what it includes.

Environments

• Coastal Depths Entrance
  
• Coastal Depths Marketplace
  
• Highlands Village
  
• Highlands Magical Workshop
  
• Highlands Split Path Tunnel Dungeon
  
• Long Meadows Permanent Dwelling
  
• Long Meadows Fortune Teller
  
• Tavern & Inn (4 variants)
  
• Wildwoods Ruin in Clearing
  
• Wildwoods Ceremonial Chamber
  

Music

• Skulk About
  
• Standoff Two
  
• Meandering
  
• A New Beginning
  
• Roll & Rumble
  

Soundscapes

• Deep Underwater
  
• Dangerous Forest
  
• Magical Lab
  
• Fortune Teller
  
• River
  
• Dangerous Alley
  
• Blacksmith
  
• Kitchen
  
• Swamp Ruin
  

[h2]Where are we with these collections now?[/h2]

Almost all of the art, music, and sound effects are in place for each collection. Now, we’re working on VFX, monster balancing, and pricing.

We’re still slated to release these collections soon, but we don’t have a precise release date just yet. A quick glance at the roadmap reveals that we have these slated for Q3 2024 (ending September 30th), and we’re well within that window.

[h2]How much will these collections cost?[/h2]

As of now, we haven’t landed on a final price for these Collections.

What we do know is that the Storyteller Collection will be cheaper than the Brawler Collection. Both Collections represent a lot of work, of course, but the Brawler Collection’s animated battlemaps, new monsters and creatures, and unique VFX and SFX are significantly more expensive to create. As such, it will be more expensive.

We'll let you know once we figure out those final price points and the exact release date.



[h2]Before we go, some community news! 📰 [/h2]

With the launch of Fablecraft, we’ve been working closely with our community to understand how they’d like to utilize our Discord to find groups, chat with devs, deliver feedback, and learn about what’s coming for the game itself.

Join the Fablecraft Discord

Now’s a great time to join Discord, as we’ve rolled out some changes to our party-finding sections. You’ll now find a party chat for individual players looking for groups and a handy event bot for GMs who are hosting upcoming games and looking for players. That scheduling bot helps streamline event creation and automate signups and reminders.

Get in here and get a session going!

We’ll see you next week, Mages. 👋